Surprised Micky Ward's 'Honesty And Integrity' Recognized

Lem Satterfield, provided by

Published 4:00 am, Friday, January 7, 2011

Retired former world champion boxer,
Micky Ward
, whose rough life growing up in a nine-member, dysfunctional family in Lowell, Mass., is portrayed by
Mark Wahlberg
in the hit movie,
The Fighter
, has been named the winner of the
Boxing Writers Association of America
's James A. Farley Award for "Honesty and Integrity in Boxing" for 2010.

A truck driver for the
Teamsters Union Local
25 in Boston, the 45-year-old Ward still lives in Lowell, where he is part owner of and runs a gym as well as part owner of an outdoor hockey rink.

Upon first hearing of the honor during a call from FanHouse, Ward expressed surprise and disbelief.

"This is really the first time I've heard about it. I mean, when is the award's ceremony? Are they having them soon? Or did they already have them?" said Ward, who will be notified of the award ceremonies that will take place during a dinner at a site to be determined.

"I'm just hearing about this now. I mean, this is the first time that I've heard of it," said Ward, chuckling. "I believe that the movie has been spreading a lot of good will, and that's what it's all about. Everything has been good, though. This is an honor."

Since the movie,
"The Fighter,"
was released on Dec. 10, in selected theaters, and, nationwide, on Dec. 17, the world has learned of the story of Irish Micky Ward.

As portrayed by Wahlberg,
The Fighter
, is focused on Ward's life in the blue-collar streets of Lowell, Mass., from which he successfully rises to become a fringe world titlist from a family run by their hard-scrabble mother.

"The movie,
'The Fighter,'
based on Ward's career, is a serious contender for
Academy Awards
honors. As a result, Ward has transcended his sport and is now known to the mainstream public," writes the BWAA in a prepared release. "Micky Ward has been a fan-friendly fighter both inside and outside the ring, going out of his way to accommodate the public."

Although it is not depicted in the movie, Ward (38-13-1, 27 knockouts) was most known for his trilogy with
Arturo Gatti
, whom Ward defeated, and then, twice lost to, respectively, in May and November of 2002, and then, in June of 2003, before retiring.

"Ward fought with integrity throughout his career. He never made excuses when he lost, and never gloated after a victory," reads the release.

"As brutal as his legendary battles with Gatti were, the sportsmanship both men displayed was exemplary," the release states. "An unlikely friendship ensued, and Gatti enlisted Ward's services as his trainer for the final fight of his career."

It was during a July flight back from Wahlberg's house in Beverly Hills, where Ward, his brother and Bale often trained together in a built gym in preparation for the movie, that Ward recalled to FanHouse his final conversation with Gatti, who would later die under mysterious circumstances in Brazil.

"I was on the airplane coming back from Mark Wahlberg's house. It was me and my brother. We were waiting at the airport and he [Gatti] gave me a call while we were waiting there and he said that he was going to be coming down," said Ward, who developed a warm, out-of-the ring friendship with Gatti.

"You know, he knew that we were working on the movie shoot, and he said that when he came back, that he wanted to come back and to maybe hang out on the set," said Ward. "He had met Mark a few times and he was friends with Mark. So he just said that , 'You know, hey, when I get back, I'll come back and see you and Mark, and come and hang out.' But, obviously, you know, he never made it back."

A former world titlist in the IBF super featherweight (130 pounds) and WBC junior welterweight (140 pounds) divisions, Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs) was found dead on July 11 in his hotel room in Brazil, where he was vacationing with his wife,
Amanda Rodrigues
. Rodriguez was originally arrested and charged with his murder, but later, released.

Initially ruled a suicide, the circumstances surrounding Gatti's death still are being investigated.

"Arturo, you know, he had said that he was going to Brazil to get his son from his son's mother and that he was going to visit for a little while," said Ward. "I knew that he was having problems and stuff with her, and I remember that he [Gatti] had said to me, 'I got to go and do this stuff, and I've got to go and straighten this out.'"

Ward appears to be in favor of a
Fighter
sequel that would address both his fights and his relationship with Gatti.

"Hopefully, maybe some day there will be, you know?" said Ward. "Who knows? You never know."

Long before embracing the mutual admiration, praise, and, adoration of the world, if not, the nation, Wahlberg and Ward already shared a number of seemingly endless similarities prior to their collaboration for the movie.

Each grew up in Massachusetts as among the younger members of a nine-member, Irish family. Their initials are MW. They were rough-and-tumble youth.